PAC Policy Analysis & Evaluation 2

Question 1

Which evaluation design is most appropriate when random assignment to treatment and control groups is ethically or practically impossible?

Accepted Answer

Quasi-experimental design

Answer

Quasi-experimental designs use comparison groups without random assignment, making them suitable when RCTs are infeasible.

Question 2

In cost-benefit analysis, the discount rate is used primarily to:

Accepted Answer

Convert future costs and benefits to present value

Answer

The discount rate converts future monetary values to present value so costs and benefits occurring at different times can be compared fairly.

Question 3

Which analytical framework explicitly separates technical efficiency from allocative efficiency in public program assessment?

Accepted Answer

Production possibilities frontier analysis

Answer

The production possibilities frontier distinguishes whether outputs are produced at minimum cost (technical) from whether the right outputs are produced (allocative).

Question 4

A policy analyst finds a statistically significant program effect of +0.03 standard deviations. The MOST important additional consideration is:

Accepted Answer

Whether the effect size is practically significant

Answer

Statistical significance does not equal practical importance; even tiny effects can be statistically significant in large samples, so practical (substantive) significance must be assessed.

Question 5

The 'theory of change' in program evaluation is best described as:

Accepted Answer

A causal map linking program activities to intended outcomes

Answer

A theory of change articulates the causal logic connecting inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes, making evaluation hypotheses explicit.

(PAC) Policy Analyst Certification Practice Test

(PAC) Policy Analyst Certification Practice Test

PAC Policy Analysis & Evaluation 2